Benralizumab: for asthma, not yet for COPD

Asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) are two distinct, chronic, inflammatory respiratory diseases.1,2 Asthma develops early in life, mainly in atopic individuals, and is characterised by airway hyper-responsiveness and recurrent wheezing due to a chronic inflammation of the airways caused by a CD4, T-helper type-2, eosinophilic inflammation.1 COPD develops later in life (age >40 years), in smokers, and is characterised by progressive irreversible airflow obstruction, chronic respiratory symptoms, and chronic inflammation of the airways and the lung caused by a CD8, Tc1, neutrophilic inflammation.